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The Denver Broncos (2-5) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) will face off in a trip across the pond this week at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The matchup marks the third and final London game of the 2022 NFL season.
The Broncos are coming off a loss to the New York Jets, a defeat that extending their losing streak to four games. In fact, the Broncos are losers of four straight games and have far from lived up to expectations this season as their offense needs serious work. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who was out last week with a hamstring injury, is expected to play on Sunday. Last week, it was Brett Rypien who led the offense with Wilson out in a losing effort.
Over on the other sideline, the Jaguars, who are no stranger to London games, also look to snap their four-game losing streak. They are coming off a loss to the New York Giants.
Which of these two teams will earn their third win of the season? We’ll find out very soon. Before we break down the matchup, here’s all the viewing information you need to watch the game.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Oct. 30 | Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
Location: Wembley Stadium — London, England
Streaming: ESPN+
Odds: Jaguars -2.5, O/U 40.5 (courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)
When the Broncos have the ball
Things are not always great when the Broncos have the ball.
Wilson is 116 for 198 on the season with a career-low 58.6% completion percentage and 1,442 yards passing, which ranks No. 29 overall among quarterbacks. He also has just five touchdowns compared to three interceptions and an 83.4 quarterback rating.
The Broncos have the second-worst competition percentage in the league between both quarterbacks playing. Yet although Wilson has struggled this season, especially when it comes to closing out games, the team does have a better chance of winning with him behind center opposed to the backup in the game.
Wilson clearly needs more time to get acclimated to the new offense and with his new receivers, and the first-year Bronco will get some more time to adjust and prove he can be that top quarterback that Denver expected him to be when it traded for him.
Running back Melvin Gordon leads the offense in rushing yards with 234 yards, while Wilson also has 96 yards on the ground. Courtland Sutton is the offensive leader in the air, clocking in with 454 receiving yards. Jerry Jeudy is second with 386 yards, followed Gordon and K.J. Hamler, who’ve provided 115 and 113 yards respectively.
The offense also needs to do a better job of protecting the quarterback. This season, Broncos quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times, which is the sixth-most among teams. They’re also last in points scored with 14.3 per game and have a 23.5 red zone touchdown percentage, which is also last in the NFL.
Overall, the Broncos are last, or close to it, in many offensive categories and that is no recipe for winning games.
When the Jaguars have the ball
This season, quarterback Trevor Lawrence has completed 63% of his passes (155 for 246) for 1,707 yards, nine touchdowns, four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 54.2. On the ground he has 84 yards on 24 attempts with three touchdowns and a long of 13 yards.
The Jaguars have done a good job at protecting Lawrence, who has only been sacked 10 times this season, which is tied for second-least in the league.
One highlight of the Jaguars offense has been running back Travis Etienne, who has been heating up more each week. He’ll have the backfield mostly to himself after Jacksonville recently traded James Robinson to the New York Jets.
Christian Kirk is the leader in receiving yards, with 458 so far this season. Zay Jones comes in second with 281 yards and Evan Engram rounds out the top three with 275 yards in the air.
The Jaguars are 36 for 86 on third downs, totaling 41.86% for third-down efficiency. Their fourth-down efficiency hovers around the same number at 41.18%. The Jags are in the top half in passing yards, touchdowns and interceptions, showing their passing game has been effective so far this season.
They need to work on closing out close contests, and with difficult opponents coming up, this game is one they need to win.
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Broncos 20
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